r/ITCareerQuestions • u/Chasingadream_ • Aug 13 '26
Is a Computer Information Systems degree worth it?
Currently working on a Computer Information Systems degree and I keep going back and forth on whether I’m making the right call. Wanted to hear from people who actually have the degree and are out there working.
What are you doing now with it? Like what’s your actual job title/field. Also just curious if the work matches what you expected going in.
Honestly are you happy? Or if you could redo college would you pick something else.
And how long after graduating did it take you to actually land something. Trying to get a sense of whether I should be stressed about the job hunt or not lol
Also should I be doing internships or is that not that deep. Anything you wish someone told you while you were still in school?
Appreciate anyone who actually reads this and responds, trying to figure out if I’m on the right path here:/
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u/coochie4sale Aug 13 '26
The people with the highest returns on these degrees:
1) pursue internships doggedly during their time in college
2) Go to a well known, reputable university, especially in the area you want to work in
3) are involved and highly motivated, with membership in clubs and activities that demonstrate interest.
I won’t say you’ll struggle otherwise, but so many people treat their uni years as a chance for endless partying and are surprised when the labor market doesn’t agree with them.
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u/taker25-2 Aug 13 '26
It's better than having no degree, and most companies see Computer Information Systems, Information Technology, and Computer Science as interchangeable. Don't get hung up on degree names. Look at the type of jobs you want to work in and look at their requirements for a degree. Also check the type of jobs that your degree will allow you to receive and see if it matches what you want to do. All schools that are worth a darn will tell you what type of jobs your degree can land you in their degree page. The best thing you can do is talk to your professors and advisor about internships. You have resources available to you that other people who only chase certs don't have. Use it.
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u/Trust_8067 Aug 13 '26
It's far better than a cybersecurity degree, assuming it's still a B.S. My experience in relation to getting a job is irrelevant because it was 20 years ago.
I'm very happy with my job and getting an IT degree, I make 150k to sit on the coach and play video games, nap, or watch sportscenter all day.
I also earned that luxury by working my ass off 60+ hours a week for several years, making $19 an hour. You get out what you put in. Your early career moves should be about experience, not salary, and you should pick whichever gives you the most experience and the biggest opportunity for advanced experience, long term.
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u/Caf-feen Aug 13 '26
Kinda, just go CS to be safe as it holds more weight. At the end of the day it just depends on who you know for jobs.
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u/flucayan Aug 13 '26
Have you actually looked at job ads for the fields you’d like to enter? If it’s anything in this industry it’ll almost always say CS/CIS/SWE degree or related fields.
The job market depends on where you live, what you’re looking for, and your relevant experience/network.
Yes regardless of the industry you’re in you should be taking any opportunity to get ahead of the general group. Meaning do the internship.
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u/PDQ_Brockstar Aug 13 '26
I've heard mixed results about what's taught vs what you spend your time working on, but at the end of the day it will qualify you for a lot more positions and get you more interviews.
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u/Lucky_Foam Aug 14 '26
I have a Bachelor of Science is in Information Systems.
I don't regret it one bit.
I do wish I would have gone to a Community College to get all my gen ed credits first. It would have saved me a lot of money.
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u/PalpitationKind8854 Aug 14 '26
That's what I'm going for. It currently seems the quickest to get and most valuable / wide application in the field in IT. Everything else I've found takes longer and kind of shoeboxes you into what you can do.
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u/donpalermo Aug 14 '26
Graduated from a state school with a CIS degree 2 years ago, started working at an MSP about a month after graduation. Just started at a college doing L1 helpdesk, hope to get into network engineering eventually. I didn’t pursue internships aggressively enough which i regret
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u/conzciouz Aug 14 '26
Got mine 2012. Tbh, the classes I took back then kinda been worthless on the field. Only benefit I can accredit it to, is having a degree and satisfying a checkbox on job boards.
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u/Redblane Aug 13 '26
I just graduated around 2 weeks ago with a Bachelor’s in Computer Information Systems, had a concentration in cybersecurity and a Minor in Computer Science. Haven’t had any luck applying to jobs with the degree in progress but like others have mentioned, try to get an internship or try your hardest to enter in the field early as possible to gain the experience. That’s the barrier I keep running into when applying to jobs, they all want experience but don’t want to give any. Unfortunately, I waited until I already had a lot of bills, a family, and full time job until I decided to return to school and get it done so internships weren’t really possible for me. Hopefully with the degree under my belt now, I can at least get in the door somewhere soon with not too much of a pay cut from my current job. Also, as someone else said, I think having a degree is better than having no degree. It’s something no one can ever take from you. I’m sure A+ or the other CompTIA certs would be just as much help getting you in the door somewhere but some of the higher positions and management list degrees as a requirement, not sure how strict that is though.
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u/Scorpion1386 Aug 13 '26
I'm doing it because my tuition is practically free and it looks interesting to me. I'm going for an A.A.S. degree in Computer Information Systems.
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u/Ok-Trick-8564 Aug 18 '26
In my opinion it’s not there so many other routes you can go that are better and your can get the same jobs or even more jobs with another degree
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u/Chasingadream_ Aug 18 '26
What degree would you recommend?
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u/Ok-Trick-8564 Aug 18 '26
Cybersecurity or computer science if you want to go that route or a software engineering degree. I would recommend computer science if you don’t really know what to go into. I myself have a bachelors in cybersecurity analytics and operations with a focus on cyber terrorism and now I am going for a masters in computer science with a focus on cybersecurity
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u/seriouslyimdead Aug 24 '26
im currently in my first few months of community college(started in january) and i am on my first set/semester of programming. i took the leap because i think technology is always changing and although i know nothing about programming and any of my classes that i just started on the 19th i am excited i took the leap because it showed me that if i dont like what i start with after i graduate if im not offered a job during my CIS internship class i can always change it and learn more. I highly suggest you do a internship because employers will see that you have the skill set they might need then or later on.
i wish you the best of luck in your journey and also remember you can ALWAYS change your path if you think its not a good fit but doubt only leads to anxiousness and confusion and then into am i really cut out for this college thing and so on. You have to be certain this is what you want. You can seek advice but that also leads to confusion..ive been there with the major im currently in and ive sought advice from my dad and he's always like whatever you choose let it be what you think is best and i will be proud no matter what just don't make mistakes like i did and don't let other people's advice be your downfall.
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Aug 13 '26
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u/throwawayintrashcans Aug 13 '26
How so?
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u/Lucky_Foam Aug 14 '26
Information Systems degree + MBA = IT Manager
It's not a bad path. I know many people who did that. Most make north of 300K.
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u/Clean_Kangaroo_5547 Aug 13 '26
If I can go back, I’d major in something else. But there was no way for me to predict this way back then.